Silas Braune, the usually composed butler of the York family, hurried inside with his phone, an uncharacteristic look of excitement on his face as he approached Titus. A few CEOs from the York family's business partners were there to fish for information about Landon. Their expressions shifted drastically upon hearing the news. They couldn't believe Landon had been located so quickly, especially given that the abductor's identity was still unknown. Exchanging knowing glances, they shared a common motive—to observe how the York family would handle the situation. If Landon was truly missing, they would have needed to consider adjusting their business terms with the Yorks. Naturally, they didn't dare to confront Titus directly, but they were prepared to pull some strings behind the scenes. This was why they came to York Residence to find out Landon's situation. However, their boldness now seemed ill-advised, and they regretted coming. They wondered if it was too late for them to
Another CEO quickly praised Lily. "Dude, do you know who you're talking to? That's no ordinary young lady. She is the remarkable Ms. Kent, the one who read the Furler family's fortune.""She's Ms. Kent?" Several CEOs looked excited upon hearing this."Honestly, I've always wanted to seek your help. It's just that the Furler family refused to reveal your identity. I'm lucky to have met you today. "My company needs some fortune-telling as well. I'm not like the others; I'm straightforward. I'll offer a million dollars to have my fortune read.""I'll give two million! Ms. Kent, could you prioritize mine? It's urgent."Surrounded by CEOs, Lily remained composed. She enjoyed being the center of attention, but she still remembered the lesson from the previous time.She had been too humble in the past. It didn't matter how exceptional her medical skills were. The sons and daughters from prestigious families hadn't viewed her as an equal. Aria, who had always seemed quiet and inferior
It was the first time Lily had heard that fortune-telling could affect one's destiny. She realized she needed to be cautious and learn more about it. When Titus saw Lily in the spotlight, a mix of emotions stirred within him. He had to admit he'd been somewhat prejudiced against her when she first sought him out. After all, the Southbury incident had indeed happened. The Gunther family, a clan of doctors, showed a callous disregard for human lives. Their practices were deplorable, treating patients with negligence and cruelty. Since Lily was a student of the Gunthers, Titus felt he had to remain guarded, especially given her prior attitude. Besides, if she could truly foresee the Furler family's fate, why hadn't she predicted the fall of the Gunther family?Questions about Lily lingered. Titus had only ordered someone to bring her back to York Residence because he was worried about Landon. Titus had approached the situation like a seasoned detective. The abductors were the mos
"Why would I need you to rescue me?" It was Landon who spoke. Dressed in his usual black suit, his long legs, slender waist, and pale skin, accentuated by the motorcycle helmet in his hand, made him appear even more striking. While they knew Landon would return eventually, no one expected him to be back so soon. The CEOs had intended to leave before Landon returned, but they lost track of time chatting with Lily about fortune-telling. Landon's gaze swept over them, calm and unreadable. It was clear he didn't want them to leave, as he blocked their path. With a raised eyebrow, Landon spoke coolly. "Silas, can just anyone walk into York Residence these days?""N-No, of course not," Silas stammered, stepping forward. Holding the helmet in one hand, Landon tilted his head slightly. "Then why am I hearing all this nonsense?"It was clear who he was talking about. The smug look had already disappeared from Lily's face. Landon hadn't paid her a bit of attention since he entered,
Lily went pale, unable to refute Aria's words. She never expected Aria to say this in front of everyone. Most people would have been too concerned about their image, but Aria was different. She didn't hesitate to expose something as humiliating as having her fiancé stolen!Seeing the CEOs glance her way, Lily thought she might still turn things around and clear her name.With a gentle and innocent tone, she explained, "My family made the decision. Aria, I'm sure you understand. The Kent family wouldn't allow me to go against them. I apologize for my actions. As long as you forgive me, I'll do whatever you ask."The more innocent she appeared, the more unforgiving and relentless Aria seemed in contrast. But Aria was no stranger to her pitiful acts.Aria responded calmly, "Are you saying your family taught you to steal someone's fiancé? If that's the case, they're quite skilled in educating you."Lily was stunned, while Landon couldn't help but smile slightly. Aria's sharp tongue wa
Titus added, "You must thank her, and so must I."The York family always taught their children to keep grievances and gratitude separated. Lily took advantage of this, sniffling as she said, "Mr. York Senior, it's alright. I understand Mr. York misunderstood me because of what happened back then. Now that he's safe, I should go back to care for Grandma."She made herself appear pitiable so that people would think the York family didn't appreciate her for saving Landon—and that even his fiancée was humiliating her.In Lily's position, anyone would feel wronged, and the CEOs thought the York family was being unreasonable.Before this incident, the CEOs regarded Aria as an effective leader for the Carver Group, even considering future partnerships. But now, they doubted she was truly behind its success. Aria was merely the acting CEO; Warren was the real mastermind.After all, it would be embarrassing if people knew that his granddaughter was an unsophisticated country bumpkin with l
Landon spoke indifferently, "Everyone, listen closely—especially you, Ms. Kent. First of all, I was never in a white car."A chill settled over the room. The CEOs exchanged puzzled glances, and Lily, who had been smiling, suddenly looked uneasy."Secondly, I wasn't initially in the northwest part of the city," Landon continued calmly.Upon hearing that, Lily murmured in disbelief. "Impossible! How could that be?"In her memory, the news had reported the car accident in the northwest part of the city.Landon said nonchalantly, "Didn't you know that, Ms. Kent? It appears your fortune-telling skills are quite sub-par."The CEOs cast uneasy glances at Lily, while Titus composed himself, deciding to hear Landon out.Lily took a step back, turning sharply to Silas. "He mentioned a truck loaded with oil tanks! That's true!"Landon chuckled, turning his cough into something that seemed mocking. "A truck and oil tanks? Trucks are common in the city's northwest, and many people sell oil
Lily decided it was time to leave after everything that had happened. She had no expectations from the York family, hoping they'd simply let her go. However, she'd underestimated Landon, the most ruthless figure in the business world.How could Janovin's most powerful man overlook someone trying to take advantage of him?That wasn't Landon’s style, especially since he despised blackmail. Moreover, the entire incident had been orchestrated to give Aria the chance to "save" him, providing him with a solid pretext to officially marry her. Yet Lily had taken this opportunity to try to con him.If Landon left things ambiguous today, rumors might spread that he owed his life to her—a notion he loathed.Before Lily could say more, Landon cut her off. "Ms. Kent, you can't provide a detailed explanation because you only guessed the location correctly. You failed to guess the other details."With that, Landon walked over to Aria and took her hand. "My fiancée was the one who saved me. She f
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t